


Sober (I can't do anything without you)

by Neo (luxnoctre)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Baekchen - Freeform, HAD TO REPUBLISH THIS SORRY, I REPEAT VIOLENCE, I don't have a heart, I said angst, LMAO I MESSED UP ON MY TITLE, M/M, SM sucks ass, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Violence, allkpop said that chen is debuting with sehun and same, and baekchen spit on you dumbasses who are trying to make them fight each other, and it shows, baekchen is flourishing in 2019 and IT SHOWS, baekchen please collab thanks, baekhyun would spit on solo stans, bruh there are so many fic fests now, but not graphic violence so i didn't warn it lmao, but with loveee, chanhun rise, fluff?, happy ending because im a coward, i don't know why this is so angsty, i should be studying but fuck the economy, i think its broken, i was actually very happy when i wrote this so the fact that this happened is..., im doing my best, im rambling on my tags again, im running on like 4 hours of sleep for the past 48 hours and im doing GREAT, jk, just like my heart, my robot vacuum has been vacuuming the same spot for the past 20 fucking minutes, no i think bh would actually fight if it came down to it, no theres no fluff, squint for chansoo, stream it for clear skin and good grades, they would fight each other actually, un village is fcking bop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-29 09:18:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19827121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luxnoctre/pseuds/Neo
Summary: "Hey TAXI TAXI, take me awayBecause this place is too hard to be inSo I can at least breathe for a few days"-Sober, BIGBANG





	Sober (I can't do anything without you)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VOlympianlove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VOlympianlove/gifts).



> First off, dedicated to my dear friend and beta, V. May these days bring you much sunshine (because its monsoon season soon)  
> Second off, I don't really know what I was doing when I wrote this, I was really procrastinating so I hope you enjoy this piece of..angst..and...whatever else this is. This was inspired by both Baekhyun's UN VILLAGE and BIGBANG's Sober because both of them are amazing songs and I recommend listening to them.  
> I was kinda trying a new style when I wrote this, I dunno if you can tell but its different from my other works haha
> 
> WARNINGS: there is mentions of domestic violence here so be aware of it. If you or a loved one are in a dangerous situation, I implore you to speak to the authorities or a trusted adult/friends 
> 
> Enjoy and thank you for your support!  
> Title: From BIGBANG's Sober  
> Alt Title: Sober Village

The bartender looked over at the man with thinly veiled worry, but shook his head ruefully. He’s been working at the bar for over ten years now; he’s seen all sorts of things from heartbreaks to marriage proposals. So when this silver haired man dressed in a bomber and sweats practically drooped himself over the bar counter, the bartender didn’t blink an eye, and just poured the first round of shots. The man had a hat on that hid his face, but at the clink of the glass, he looked up slowly.

The mysterious man thanked the bartender gratefully, well, as grateful as he could, for his eyes were red and his hands were shaking as he held the glass to his lips. He ignored the stares and whispers of the people around him, eyes only focusing on the glass and the slowly draining liquid inside. 

“Isn’t that Byun Baekhyun?”

“What is he doing out here?”

“His pictures don’t do him justice, look at that face.”

Baekhyun shut his eyes and pushed the empty glass away from him. A mention of a name from a woman beside him has Baekhyun clenching his fists on top of the counter, and his teeth gritting together.

“Isn’t he dating Kim Jongdae, the COO of Oh Entertainment?”

The sting of tears along his eyelids were quickly wiped away before anyone noticed anything. Baekhyun took a deep breath to steady himself, waiting for the welcoming buzz of alcohol in his veins. After a few waiting seconds, Baekhyun opened his eyes and gestured at the bartender to come closer.

His low, and hoarse voice was barely heard over the din of the bar. “Something stronger, please,” Baekhyun asked. 

The bartender nodded, reaching under the counter for a barely used bottle of alcohol. He easily popped off the lid and poured a glass, before pushing it over to Baekhyun. “Rough day?” The bartender asked lightly, leaning on the counter and looking at Baekhyun with a sympathetic gaze.

“You could say that,” Baekhyun chuckled drily before taking a large gulp of his drink. He sighed in relief as he felt the familiar intoxication taking over his mind. Baekhyun chugged the rest of the drink, before letting the glass fall to the counter with a clatter. The bartender wordlessly refilled it before heading off to attend to other patrons. Baekhyun watched him walk away, a sense of deja vu threatening to overcome his mind. In an instant, the bartender’s pressed white button up was replaced with an immaculate navy blazer. The bartender’s blonde hair was replaced with raven locks. Baekhyun could just see the head turning back towards him, a mischievous smile on his blurry face and- 

“No.” 

Baekhyun’s outburst startled the people around him and he flashed an apologetic smile before turning away. He shook his head to clear his wandering thoughts before drowning his glass in one shot. The burn of the liquid travelling through his body made Baekhyun wince and cough, but he relished the feeling. Already he could feel the tension in his shoulders melt away as his mind settled into a blissful haze. He stared down at his hand resting on the counter. It was adored with several rings, the most prominent one being a large silver ring with an intricate design on the front. Underneath the jewelry, the skin was broken and bruised, marring the beauty of his hand. He slowly flexed the hand, feeling how the bruises stretched and throbbed with every movement.

There was a touch on his arm and Baekhyun turned to see a lady dressed scantily. She was smiling at him with a sultry gaze in her eyes. Baekhyun couldn’t help but lightly frown when he saw that her dress and shoes were from last season’s trends; he would know, he modeled for the very same brand. She was rubbing a stubby hand on his jacket and saying something in a husky voice. Baekhyun couldn’t make out what she was saying with the music and chatter around, so he just lightly laughed and brushed her hand off. The woman pouted (or at least, that’s what Baekhyun thought she did, he didn’t exactly have the best vision at the moment) and tried to scoot closer but Baekhyun immediately scooted away.

Heartbroken or not, Baekhyun was still loyal to one person. 

He felt that he had enough of Seoul’s nightlife, so he called the bartender over. Baekhyun dropped a stack of bills on the counter, the amount probably way over the cost of three drinks, before jamming his hands in his pockets and walking off. Heads turned towards him as he walked towards the door, and the whispers grew a little louder. But Baekhyun was used to attention, so with a push of his shoulder to open the door, he stepped outside.

The chilly night air did little to ameliorate the buzz in his mind and veins. He brought his hands up to his lips, blowing hot air on them as he stood in front of the door. Baekhyun’s gaze followed the cars zooming past, the people inside barely visible. His eyes drifted upwards to the city’s landscape, a bright horizon with tall scrapers and apartments jutting through like spikes. Baekhyun was in no particular rush to return back to his loft that night. Hell, he was in no rush to return back there ever. And even if he did, there was no guarantee that he would be welcomed back with open arms and a honey smooth voice saying “I love you”. 

Baekhyun, lost in his thoughts, bit his lip hard enough to break the tender skin and draw blood. He rubbed the red away on his sleeve, before sucking on the wound slowly. 

He didn’t want to return home. He didn’t want to even be in the city.

So with unsteady steps, Baekhyun lifted a hand and signaled a taxi to pull up beside him. The taxi was a fading yellow and the interior smelled faintly of gimbap and cologne. Baekhyun wrinkled his nose at the stench, as his senses became hypersensitive from the alcohol, but didn’t comment to the driver. He got into the shotgun seat, pulling his jacket up and ducking his chin down. He pulled the baseball cap a little deeper on his head. Baekhyun didn’t want anymore people to see him, and post all about his late night adventures. Although he supposed he lost all forms of secrecy by going to such a well known bar. 

“Where to?” The driver asked, curiously trying to see Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun turned to face the window and sighed.

“Anywhere,” Baekhyun said, settling into his seat. “Anywhere but here.” The taxi driver hesitated, clearly unsure by Baekhyun’s vague instructions. But after a pause, the driver started the car and began to drive. 

The driver didn’t speak, something Baekhyun was grateful for. He doubted that, between his drunken thoughts and weary heart, he would have been able to respond. There was a soft ballad playing on the radio, the melody and lyrics tugging at Baekhyun’s delicate heartstrings like a guitar. The feeling drew another sigh from him.

“Sir,” Baekhyun said. “Is it alright if we change the radio?” At the driver’s nod, Baekhyun scrolled through the stations before settling on some older tunes. Baekhyun turned back around and leaned on his seat, watching the world pass by through the blurry window. The trees and street lights fell far behind as the car drove by. A billboard passed by with Baekhyun’s face blown up on it. His model persona had a large smile and was modeling a sports drink. Baekhyun couldn’t resist snorting at the sight. He always hated seeing ads and commercials of himself; it made him feel fake like a play doll. Modeling fashion was the only real type of modeling that Baekhyun accepted. But sometimes, even that turned into more of a chore than an enjoyment.

In the distance, the bright city lights stayed motionless, a constant presence in the view. Baekhyun’s eyes were naturally drawn to them, those high rise steel buildings and glittering signs. He could just imagine the steady stream of workers traveling in and out of those buildings, the stream most likely slowed to a trickle with the night, but still there nevertheless. 

If Baekhyun squinted, he could see the sign for Oh Entertainment, illuminated by dazzling spotlights and LED light bulbs. Or at least he thought that was the sign, he wasn’t quite sure of anything at the moment.

The speed of the car made Baekhyun’s head throb with just more than the alcohol, so he closed his eyes, distracting himself with the music. A couple seconds later, and he felt the car slowing down to a gentle stop. He opened his eyes to see that the taxi was in front of a hotel, a clean looking place with soft lights and a welcoming lobby.

“Sir, is this alright?” the driver asked. Baekhyun nodded wordlessly and extracted a wad of bills from his wallet. He gave it to the driver, and not bothering to wait for change, exited from the car. The taxi sped off not a moment later, the driver mostly likely eager to get home after a long day. 

Baekhyun stood there, looking around. The hotel was in a quiet area, with the faint noise of chatter coming from the buildings around him. He walked into the hotel, once again ducking his head down to avoid attention. There was only one lobby staff on duty; a sleepy looking man who didn’t even bother trying to see Baekhyun’s face before asking him how long he was staying.

Baekhyun was silent at the question, prompting the man to look up. “Sir? How long will you be staying with us?” The staff asked. 

“A couple nights at least,” Baekhyun answered. His voice was low and his throat scratched uncomfortably as his vocal cords rubbed themselves together. He coughed to hurriedly relieve the pressure and put a 50,000 won bill on the counter. He was really dropping money left and right that night, but he couldn’t care less. “I’ll pay the rest tomorrow morning.” The staff bowed and handed Baekhyun a sleek black and white keycard.

“Please enjoy your stay,” he said, with as much cheerful as one could have at eleven o’clock at night. Baekhyun nodded before heading off to the elevators. He managed to get up to his room without any trouble. His room was minimalistic: a bed with slightly faded blue sheets, a desk, a standard TV, and a single couch chair. Baekhyun took the sight in before heading to the bathroom and dousing his face with cold water. It did little to relieve the haziness in his eyes, but made him feel less sticky and dirty. He grabbed a complementary water sitting on the desk, chugged it, and tossed it beside him. Baekhyun stripped off his jacket and sweatpants, leaving only with his undershorts and his plain tee. He dropped his hat on the chair, and promptly pulled the covers over himself.

Finally hidden from the public eye in his warm cocoon of blankets and sheets, Baekhyun let his emotions flow freely. The tears came first, salty drops falling onto the sheets to form little wet puddles. Baekhyun let them fall, not bothering to wipe his nose or the little streaks that the drops left. Another wave of emotions crashed onto the shores of his mind, overwhelming him as he started to sob, the cries of anguish coming forth unbidden. Baekhyun clenched his fist to his mouth, biting his slender fingers in an effort to silence himself. His teeth left faint red indents that contrasted sharply with his pale skin. The pain was like an electric jolt. Baekhyun curled in on himself, his forehead resting on his knees as he continued to cry. 

He felt as if a thousand needles were stabbing his heart, each one leaving a hole that burned and stung. Baekhyun took a great heaving breath that left him dizzy and fatigued. In his mind, he was only repeating a couple words, and a name. His memories conjured up a scene from only a few hours before.

Jongdae, in his suited glory, looking at him with disappointment and sadness as Baekhyun let out his feelings in the form of angry words and clenched fists. Baekhyun punching their bedroom door frame, his rings leaving scratches on the glossy wood and bruised indents on his hand. Jongdae trying to calm Baekhyun down with soothing words and reassuring touches but Baekhyun had pushed him away with enough force to make Jongdae hit the back wall and look at him with something other than sorrow. Baekhyun knew that look all too well, and it made him step back with the realization of what he had done. Jongdae had reached out for him with a trembling hand but Baekhyun turned and ran. He ran from their shared loft, from his painful feelings, and from Jongdae.

He was jolted back to the present by his phone going off in his pocket. Baekhyun checked the caller and put the device down on the bed. He just stared at the name, and the contact image of a pretty face with a cheerful cat-lipped smile. When the ring ended, Baekhyun shut down his device and set it beside him. He was tired, both physically and emotionally. So he laid his head back on the firm pillow and let his mind fall to the mercy of his dreams.

\-----

Baekhyun woke up with a pounding in his head, an expected result from his drinking. It wasn’t to the point where Baekhyun couldn’t function normally, but he stayed in bed for a while longer before slowly getting up and dragging himself to the bathroom. When he got back, he turned his phone back on and was greeted with a flood of messages. Many were from his friends, worried about his whereabouts, but most were from Jongdae. Baekhyun checked the timestamps for the messages, but only skimmed the content. Jongdae had texted and called him all the way through one am, and his messages all consisted of pleas for Baekhyun to come back home. Baekhyun felt a twinge of guilt at the tone of Jongdae’s messages, but he knew that he had to get away, for his and Jongdae’s sake.

While Baekhyun was checking his messages, another notification popped up, this time from his manager. His manager was asking Baekhyun where he was, and telling him to check the daily gossip sites. Baekhyun obliged, and saw blurry and dim photos of him sitting at the bar yesterday night. The headlines declared eye catching titles like “Byun Baekhyun; Drunk and Brokenhearted?” or “Supermodel Spotted at Late Night Bar: Trouble in Paradise?” Baekhyun clicked on one of them, just to see what they were saying. It was the usual crap: low quality photos and a short description of how the patreons saw Baekhyun ordering a couple drinks. There was some speculation that Baekhyun was having trouble in his relationship, with links to past articles from when their relationship was first exposed. Baekhyun ignored all of these and decided not to read the comments. 

He languidly stretched his arms, ignoring the strain and soreness in his body. Baekhyun didn’t want to do anything for the entire day. He was tired of the push and pull of life, the constant rollercoaster of emotions that never failed to throw Baekhyun for a loop. There was so much that he had to do, but there was nothing that he wanted to do. Except, perhaps, holding Jongdae in his arms and whispering sweet nothings into the other’s ear.

Baekhyun only left his room to pick up water, aspirin and some food. He also bought a cheap charger from the hotel shop so his phone wouldn’t die. Otherwise, he stayed in his room, drowning in self pity and sadness. He turned off notifications from all social platforms, effectively leaving him in a void of silence and isolation. 

When night approached and it was near supper time, Baekhyun ordered room service. He got up as soon as he heard a knock on his door, but rather than being greeted by a waiter with a tray of food, he was greeted by a familiar, tall man.

“Chanyeol?” Baekhyun said incredulously. “How the fuck did you find me?”

Chanyeol held up his phone, which showed a photo of Baekhyun at the hotel stop. “You’re staying right by one of my restaurants and a waiter took a photo,” Chanyeol explained. He stepped into the room easily with Baekhyun putting up little resistance. “Did you turn off all your notifications, or something?”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun said as he say heavily down on his bed. “I’ve just been here for the whole day.” Chanyeol sat on the couch across from him and stared at him with disbelief.

“Baek, do you know how worried everyone is right now? You literally went to a bar last night and disappeared off like a ghost,” Chanyeol said, clasping his hands in front of him like a stern parent. His voice became soft as if he was afraid of breaking Baekhyun with his next words. “Do you know how worried  _ Jongdae  _ is?”

“Don’t say his name,” Baekhyun burst out. “Don’t say that, I don’t want to hear it.”

“Just because you don’t want to hear it doesn’t mean you don’t need to hear it,” Chanyeol retorted. His voice was rising with emotion and Baekhyun shut his eyes tightly, like a child trying to hide from the monsters outside. “You can’t just run away from your problems, it’s only making things worse.”

“I’m not running away,” Baekhyun said, his eyes still closed. He brought his knees up to his face to rest his head on top. “I don’t deserve someone like Jongdae, that much is obvious. He’s happy without me.”

“Don’t say shit like that, it’s not true. Everyone knows that you two are so happy with each other.”

“Chanyeol.” At Baekhyun’s low tone, Chanyeol frowned. Baekhyun was staring at him, his eyes dull and stone cold. “I hurt Jongdae.”

“Uh, fuck yeah you did? His boyfriend just ran off and left no message whatsoever. Jongdae is practically bawling his eyes out, you asshat.”

“No, I meant physically.” At Chanyeol’s alarmed look, Baekhyun continued to explain. “I pushed him against a wall, hard, and I saw his face. He was scared.” Baekhyun sucked in a deep breath. “He was scared of  _ me _ .” 

“Oh, Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said sympathetically. He sat beside Baekhyun on the bed and gently patted his shoulder. “It’s okay, you and Jongdae both know it was an accident. It won’t happen again.”

“But what if it does?” Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol with a pleading look in his eyes. “If I hurt him again, I don’t think I could ever live with myself.” 

“Baekhyun, do you love Jongdae?”

Baekhyun seemed a bit startled at the intensity of Chanyeol’s voice as he asked the question. But Baekhyun didn’t hesitate about his answer when he said, “With all my heart.”

“Then I’m sure it won’t happen again, you can work it out.” Baekhyun opened his mouth to protest but Chanyeol swiftly cut him off. “And I know Jongdae feels the exact same about you, so you’re just being a little bitchass coward right now.” 

“You seem so sure.”

“Hell yeah I am. I have seen you two do the most ridiculous things for each other; it’s pretty obvious you both are in love.” Chanyeol sadly smiled at Baekhyun, who was looking rather torn and guilty. “Please go talk to Jongdae, he’s worried out of his mind right now. He deserves at least that much.” 

The room was silent for a minute or so, as Baekhyun mulled over Chanyeol’s words. Chanyeol let out an audible sigh or relief when Baekhyun finally said, “Ok, I’ll go talk to him.” 

“Excellent,” Chanyeol promptly stood up from the bed and extended a hand to Baekhyun to pull him up. Baekhyun got up slowly, his body almost being dragged by Chanyeol’s strong arm. Chanyeol ushered Baekhyun out of the room with the haste of a worried mother. Chanyeol dropped several bills on the counter to pay for Baekhyun’s room before pushing Baekhyun out of the hotel doors. Baekhyun almost dug his heels into the pavement to resist Chanyeol’s pushes, but he gave up when Chanyeol fixed him with a stern look.

Before long, both of them were safely in Chanyeol’s car and on their way back to Baekhyun’s place. Chanyeol evidently tried to make conversation by telling Baekhyun updates on his restaurants and relationship with famous sous chef, Do Kyungsoo. But Baekhyun’s lack of response and icy demeanour left Chanyeol silent and awkward. Baekhyun prefered to stare out of the window, as he did on that first night in the smelly taxi. When the area around them transitioned from side alleys and homely restaurants to high rise business centers and scenic footpaths, Baekhyun sat a little straighter in his seat. 

And when Chanyeol’s car drove into a neighborhood of classy, glass buildings and perfectly lush trees, Baekhyun sucked in a breath of apprehension. There was a man standing guard in a black suit on one of the roads who looked over at them as they drove by. Chanyeol paid him no heed, only continuing on till his destination. On Baekhyun’s window side, there was a large metal sign with words written in both Hangul and English. They spelled out in dazzling light:

UN VILLAGE

HANNAMDONG

The area they were in was peaceful, with only a few cars on the road and a small stream of walkers on the paths. Chanyeol drove past buildings that looked like an architect's Christmas present and little pockets of parks, nestled between steel beams and glass walls. To any outside eye, the area would have been a Feng Shui dream; a marvelous sight for anyone who was unaware of how much wealth the inhabitants possessed. But after living in the area for so long, even the shiniest gold sculpture or sparkling fountain became dull and lackluster to Baekhyun. In truth, everything has been turning into a meaningless blur lately, with Baekhyun losing his passion in not only his job, but his personal life. The only thing that has been keeping him going through the dark tunnel of life has been Jongdae, a star of pure light and love. 

Baekhyun let out a cold laugh when he realized that he lost even that. Chanyeol looked over at him quickly but just sighed and turned back to the road.

Baekhyun wondered what Jongdae would do when he saw Baekhyun on his doorstep. Would he cry in disbelief and pull Baekhyun into his arms? Or he would he slam the door shut, cutting Baekhyun off from all parts of his life? But most of all, Baekhyun wondered if Jongdae would be angry at him, if he would yell at Baekhyun with knife like words in exchange for the way Baekhyun had treated him. These thoughts swirled in Baekhyun’s mind, forming a stormcloud that hovered over him for the remainder of the ride.

It continued to hover over him, especially when Chanyeol pulled up in front of a familiar looking apartment complex. Chanyeol set the car into idle mood, and looked over pointedly at Baekhyun as if signaling him to get out. Baekhyun got the hint, and with a heaving breath, slowly walked up to the door. Baekhyun stood there for a few seconds, his hand clenched and raised. His mind was obviously torn between knocking and running one last time. But before Baekhyun could make up his mind, the door was opened and Baekhyun gulped.

Jongdae was dressed in a loose shirt and black sweats. His hair was uncombed and his eyes were bloodshot but Baekhyun still thought he looked like a Greek god. 

They stood like that, Baekhyun on the doorstep and Jongdae in the doorway, for a few seconds. Baekhyun carefully watched Jongdae’s reaction as the latter stared at Baekhyun’s face. Jongdae blinked. Once. Twice. And a third time before his shaky hands reached up to Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun stood there, silent and unmoving, even as Jongdae’s cold fingers lightly grazed his cheeks.

“Baekhyun? You came back?” Jongdae says, his voice barely above a whisper. Baekhyun didn’t lean into Jongdae’s touch, opting instead for a nod. He didn’t trust his voice not to break down in front of the man he loved. Jongdae let out a little sound of surprise and understanding, his fingers still on Baekhyun’s face. Baekhyun was so tempted to interlace his fingers with Jongdae’s and bring them to his mouth in a slow kiss, as he normally did. But Jongdae moved his hands away before Baekhyun could.

Jongdae bit his lip and Baekhyun tensed up. Years of being with Jongdae had taught Baekhyun all the sure tell signs of Jongdae’s emotions. And not two seconds later, Jongdae started to cry once more, tears leaking from his normally bright eyes as he stared into Baekhyun’s eyes.

“I can’t believe you left me,” Jongdae choked out. He rubbed his nose with his sleeve and shook his head in disbelief. “You said we were going to be together forever and you  _ left  _ me.”

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun said quietly. But he knew his words couldn’t repair the damage that he did when he stepped out of their home.

“Why didn’t you come back home?” Jongdae asked. He tiredly rubbed his eyes on his sleeve and Baekhyun resisted the urge to brush the crystal like tears from Jongdae’s cheek. “You didn’t answer any of my messages and I was so worried and now you just show up out of nowhere .” 

Baekhyun remained silent while Jongdae continued to sniffle and cry in the doorway. His heart clenched with the way Jongdae looked at him and every tear that fell from Jongdae’s eyes was like a drop of acid falling onto Baekhyun’s skin. He felt a tidal wave of guilt overtake him and suddenly, Baekhyun wanted to cry as well. He wanted to cry for what he did, and for how he hurt the one person so precious to him.

“Why didn’t you come back home, Baekhyun?” Jongdae repeated his question slowly.

“I didn’t know where home was,” Baekhyun replied. He clenched his hand behind his back, where he felt his rings digging into his bruises and scratches. “I didn’t know where I could go anymore.”

“That’s bullshit,” Jongdae said. His gaze suddenly took on a more stubborn and angry look. “You don’t know need to know where home is to know that you should have came back here.” Jongdae paused for a couple of seconds, his breath ragged and unstable. “Why didn’t you come back to me?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” Baekhyun confessed. He looked down at the ground in shame, pressure building up in his chest. “I was so angry and rash and stupid and I took it out on you. And then I hurt you and you were scared and I-“

Baekhyun was interrupted by a pair of strong arms pulling him in for a tight hug. Jongdae was a little shorter than Baekhyun so he tucked his chin over Baekhyun’s broad shoulder and buried his head into the crook of his neck. “I wasn’t scared of you,” Jongdae said, his voice muffled. Baekhyun shivered a little at the vibrations Jongdae’s voice made against his skin. “I was scared that you were going to break up with me, and leave me forever.”

“No,” Baekhyun whispered. He wrapped an arm around Jongdae’s waist and curled his hand into Jongdae hair. His heart soared with how familiar the position felt. “I could never leave you. I’m so sorry Jongdae, for everything.” Before he knew it, Baekhyun started to sniffle as well, a few stray tears falling onto Jonfdae’s shirt.

“Promise me.” Jongdae’s hand found its way to Baekhyun’s cheek once more as Jongdae leaned back. His eyes pierced Baekhyun’s as if he was searching for something deep inside Baekhyun’s soul. “Promise me you’ll never leave again.”

“I promise,” Baekhyun said with no hesitation. He meant it with all his heart. He swore to himself to never allow Jongdae to feel the same pain that he felt now. At Baekhyun’s strong words, Jongdae softly smiled and leaned in. 

The kiss was soft and filled with longing. Baekhyun wanted to nip at Jongdae’s bottom lip, to turn it into something more but he held back. He knew it wasn’t the time and they both haven’t recovered their emotions. The moment was short, with both of them still teary and sniffling. Jongdae used a hand on Baekhyun’s neck to gently press their foreheads together.

“We’re going to get through this together, ok?” Jongdae said. “You and me, just like always.” 

“Ok.” Baekhyun nodded and Jongdae’s smile grew a little brighter. Baekhyun gazed into Jongdae’s eyes, relishing the way that Jongdae looked at him. He didn’t notice that his eyes seem to sparkle like little stars against a hazelnut sky. Jongdae tugged Baekhyun into the house and the latter went in willingly. Before Jongdae closed the door, he looked over at Chanyeol and gratefully smiled. Chanyeol did a big thumbs up and drove away, happy to be able to reunite his friends. 

Inside the apartment, Baekhyun was standing in front of their bedroom. He was tracing his fingers over the small scratches engraved into the wood. His fist throbbed with the ghost of the pain that Baekhyun felt that night. Jongdae caught him looking and tentatively hugged Baekhyun once more. 

“It’s ok,” Jongdae said, looking at the scratches as well.

“Are you sure?” Baekhyun said slowly. “What if it happens again? What if I do something worst?”

“Hey,” Jongdae turned Baekhyun’s chin to look at him. “I said that we’ll get through this together, didn’t I? Don’t you trust me?”

“Always,” Baekhyun said. He found Jongdae’s hand with his own and kissed it gently. Jongdae humned serenely. 

“We can paint over it,” Jongdae suggested. “And my cousin, Minseok, is a therapist. We can visit him sometime to talk. Everything can be fixed with just a bit of time, Baekhyun.”

“That sounds great,” Baekhyun gazed over the marks one last time before smiling at Jongdae. “You’re right, it’ll heal.” 

Jongdae looked down at Baekhyun’s hand, at the bruises and the broken skin. He wrapped his hands around them, softly to not agitate the wound, and smiled back. And Baekhyun felt like, for the first time in ages, that everything was going to work out just fine. 

_ Fin _

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on twitter! @exonneon
> 
> To A;  
> No matter what dark tunnel life puts you through, I hope you will always be able to find the light


End file.
